Brighton MA Fine Art Exhibition 2014

The MA fine Art Exhibition is now showing at Grand Parade until July 10. I think we have put on a pretty good show. What is fascinating is seeing it come all together after seeing the work develop during the year. Suddenly people’s different obsessions make sense. Take this stunning piece by Soohyun KimA Monstrous Child, during the year I had seen Kim’s smaller doll sculptures and had not liked them very much; suddenly there was this piece in the gallery and I saw the point of it, and found that I actually liked the smaller pieces as well.

Another work which I think works wonderfully well in the exhibition is Caroline Pick’s piece in latex. Caroline made small latex work earlier in the year but it is only when they get to this scale that they become quite so fascinating. I really like the textures she has achieved.

Helen Acklam’s work arose out of a residency she undertook a residency at the Royal Sussex County Hospital at the time the site was closed for redevelopment. I particularly like the feeling of light and the sense of the open doors, leading to what? A ward? An operating room? Or perhaps, as the name Limbo suggests, to another world.

Look out too for Mima Chovankova her painting, bright, striking and hugely skilled in the way that she manipulates the paint, are up on the second floor. One of her influences is the Russian painter Kazimir Malevitch; you can see that in the black square; what would he have thought of the fluorescent pink? Personally I think he would have loved it.

Mercedes Ferrari’s work is always interesting and distinctive; these hands are no exception; walk past and they spring into action.

Another painter whose work I admire is Lucy Marks; in this exhibition she has moved away from the colour that characterised her work in the past; I loved her coloured work but the black and white pieces are hugely striking.

Also working black and white is James Dean Diamond, with his series of photographs in which he manipulates light to create the most fascinating effects.

Rose Waterson uses light in a completely novel way; she combines her drawing with projected images or effects which bring them to life.

These are just a small selection of the works on show. If you do come along, do drop in and see my floating sculptures on the second floor; to tempt you, there is also a dead snakey thing. What more could anybody want?